Giant TCR VS TCR Aero

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by jpainter
What kind of all around road bike/crit bike would a TCR Aero be?I`m not a gear head so I`m not real picky about geometry.

Well, chosing the right geometry isn't based on whether you're a gearhead or not -- it's based on your riding style, and to be frank, it's an important consideration for any rider. Geometry is a huge part of what makes a comfort bike a comfort bike, a MTB a MTB, a BMX bike a BMX bike, and a time trial bike... you guessed it: a time trial bike.

If you're not planning on using it for time trials or TT-like scenarios, you'd be better served by a standard geometry road bike. The seat and head -tube angles on TT bikes (including the Giant Aero) tend to be a few degrees steeper than on conventional road bikes, which puts you in a less relaxed, less versatile position. They tend to sport fork configurations that may lead to squirrley handling in road race or crit situations as well. Finally -- if climbing is a consideration, TT bikes tend to put less emphasis on low weight than conventional race rigs.

You might end up finding the thing pretty uncomfortable for general use.

Dedicate the funds towards a standard road bike, and you'll end up with a bike well-tailored to road races and training, lighter than a TT rig, but also adaptable to TT use should you desire it (try clip on aero bars and a forward-angle seatpost). You'll also appreciate STI shifters over the bar-end mechanisms on most TT rigs.

Time trial bikes, generally speaking, are for time trialists and triathletes.

Just a few thoughts. Good luck, and have fun chosing.